Political Science - Brigham Young University - Laie

Political Science from Brigham Young University - Laie is a Campus Bachelor Public Administration degree that prepares you for a Human Services career. The Discipline Political Science is the study of power and the ways human beings organize their public life. Students of Political Science go on to graduate and professional study, such as law. They work in every sort of business. Preeminently, they serve the people of their nations and the world in the halls of government . They learn skills in research, writing, oral presentation, and critical thinking that offer the best preparation for the varying challenges of work and service in the rapidly changing world of the coming decades. Politics extends far beyond the immediate concerns of politicians or pollsters; it is essential to the human condition. It involves fundamental choices concerning our life in communities — whether locally, nationally, or globally. Without politics there could be only chaos and conflict. With politics there is the chance for order and thus the opportunity to seek prosperity and fulfillment. Often conflictual but just as often cooperative, politics reflects our basic needs and interests, our highest aspirations, and the often harsh requirements of power. Political science involves this full range of inquiry, including questions of "who gets what, " questions of the best or most just political order, and questions of the nature, uses, and abuses of power. It uses methods ranging from statistically analyzing quantifiable data to comparing institutions or systems historically to reflecting on influential texts. Political scientists ask such questions as "Why is campaign finance reform so difficult?" "Why did the Berlin Wall fall?" "Were the Athenians justified in condemning Socrates to death?" Career Opportunities The political Science Department offers an undergraduate degree in political science for students who are preparing for graduate studies in related fields, professional degrees ( law or business), or a wide variety of public service occupations, or for liberal art students who are interested in an under graduate major that focuses on challenging questions facing modern society. Students may emphasize the subfields of American government, comparative government , international politics, political philosophy, and public policy. Program Outcomes Upon completing a major in Political Science, students will: 1. Write effectively in various formats (essays, reports, and research papers). 2. Demonstrate a comprehensive mastery of knowledge of the political science discipline (American Studies, International Politics/Comparative Governments, Normative and Empirical Theory, and Public Administration). 3. Complete a successful, integrative internship and under supervision, function within the structure of organizations and service delivery systems, and seek necessary organizational change. 4. Understand the challenges of leadership in free societies. 5. Enter graduate school or find employment within one year of graduation. Major Requirements The Political Science Program prepares students to understand, analyze, and influence public policy in venues from local to international. The Political Science Department offers an undergraduate degree in political science for students who are preparing for graduate studies in related fields or in professional programs like law or business. The degree also serves the student that desires to work in the public sector--local, state, or federal offices or in Foreign Service -- or in organizations seeking to influence public policy. The major also is useful to the person that wants to be an effective citizen through (for example) community activism, intelligent consumption of news and information, and responsible voting. Students may emphasize the subfields of American government , comparative government, international politics, political philosophy, and public policy. The internship experience is an integral part of the Political Science Program. An internship may be scheduled after the Junior year when sufficient class work has been completed that will provide the student with information and maturity that will make them a substantial contributor to the office assigned. The student will register for POSC 498 (3 credits) and work 140 hours. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange for the internship with the assistance of the program director. Occasionally a student will want to extend the internship experience or seek additional experience elsewhere. That student must keep in mind the following: 1) Only three credits of internship credit may count for Political Science credit. Any other credits will count towards graduation but not as POSC credit, 2) Only three credits will be graded. The rest must be pass/no pass, 3) No internship credit will be given beyond the 140 hours required for graduation. View more details on Brigham Young University - Laie, HI . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Public Administration courses.